Effects of dietary supplementation with cupreous N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) chelate and copper sulfate on growth performance, serum biochemical profile and immune response, tissue mineral levels and fecal excretion of mineral in weaning piglets

This experiment was conducted to measure the effects of dietary supplementation with copper sulfate and cupreous N-carbamylglutamate chelate (NCG-Cu) on the growth performance, serum biochemical profile and immune response, tissue mineral levels and fecal excretion of minerals of weaning piglets. Eighteen 28-d-old healthy weaning piglets (initial body weight = 6.34 +/- 0.10 kg) were individually housed and randomly assigned to receive one of three diets containing no copper in either form (Control), 650 g/t copper sulfate (650 g/t Cu group) or 640 g/t NCG-Cu (640 g/t NCG-Cu group) in the final feed for 14 days. These data indicate that 640 g/t NCG-Cu was as effective as 650 g/t Cu for stimulating growth, immune response, and improving F/G in weaning piglets. Fecal Cu excretion decreased in piglets from the 640 g/t NCG-Cu group, which received 160 mg/kg Cu compared with the fecal CU excretion observed in the piglets from the 650 g/t Cu group, which also received 160 mg/kg Cu. Therefore, 640 g/t NCG-Cu of dietary Cu, may provide an effective environmental alternative to 650 g/t Cu in weaning piglets.